11 Bizarre Home Remedies Our Grandparents Taught Us That Actually Work

When I was a little girl, probably only about 3 or 4 years old, I had the unfortunate luck of getting bitten by a nasty spider. Thankfully, the critter wasn’t anything too awful that I had to be rushed to the hospital, but it sure wasn’t fun.

But to tell you the truth, I quickly forgot all about the pain, and to this day only remember one thing: the strange home remedy my mom used, which she learned from her mom, to make the swelling go down and get me back in better spirits.

It might sound strange, but I can tell you firsthand that slicing up a raw potato and wrapping an Ace bandage around the affected area really does the trick! After sleeping with it on all night, I woke up to a barely noticeable and pain-free bump.

Take a look below to see even more amazing at-home cures for common afflictions:

1. ARTHRITIS

Soak golden raisins in gin overnight (or however long it takes for them to soak it all up) and eat 10 a day. Don’t worry, you won’t get drunk, but the vitamins in the grapes and the anti-inflammatory effects from the gin’s juniper berries will help bring swelling down and ease your pain.

2. BAD BREATH

Instead of popping a piece of gum in your mouth to mask the stinky scent, grab some celery or parsley to chew on to really clean your pearly whites and freshen your breath. They also help with digestion!

3. EARACHE

I can verify this handy trick myself as my ears frequently like to torture me when I get even the slightest cold. Squeezing lemon juice onto a Q-tip or cotton ball and gently applying just inside your ear will help restore the pH balance and neutralize the icky bacteria.

4. HAIR LOSS

Brew a pot of some nettle or horsetail herbal tea, both of which have high levels of silica, a chemical that can help strengthen the hair tissue you still have. Be careful not to go overboard, though, as silica can have toxic effects on your kidneys in high volumes.

5. MENOPAUSE

Adding yams to your diet regularly will help support your hormones with plenty of vitamin A and antioxidants, and help lower your cholesterol. Just be sure to get real yams, not sweet potatoes.

6. CALLUSES AND CORNS

Mash some Red Vines together with a little petroleum jelly to smooth out those rough patches thanks to the estrogen-like ingredients found in the sweet treat.

7. MOTION SICKNESS AND NAUSEA

The woozy feeling gets worse when you start producing too much saliva, something the tannins in olives can help air out.

8. URINARY TRACT INFECTION

Adding a tiny sprinkle of baking soda to a glass of water will make your bladder more alkaline, which makes it more difficult for the uncomfortable bacteria to multiply.

9. INDIGESTION

Feeling bloated after enjoying a nice meal? Pop a couple of these fiber- and potassium-filled apricots for dessert and you won’t have to worry about undoing the top button of your pants.

10. WARTS

Covering your warts with duct tape will suffocate the skin virus, sometimes in a matter of just a few days.

11. SPIDER BITES

As I mentioned before, this is something I’ve used with success myself! Potatoes not only possess anti-itching and anti-inflammatory properties, but they will keep your skin from drying out and becoming more irritated.

Did we miss any of your favorite time-tested remedies? Leave a comment and SHARE with your friends!